By Women Born, By Women Ruled
by melliyna
Summary: The Tudors. Except in a matriarchal society. The politics, they remain.
1. Chapter 1

_Glimpses in to a world in which women are the rulers. Based off the TV show rather than actual history, largely so an AU of an historical canon AU, I believe. Any material about the historical-political implications is entirely my own dorkitude talking_

Catalina was happy in her place as youngest daughter - she had always known her oldest sister Isabella would rule, as was proper. Her brother would be expected to make good marriages and her next oldest sister would be for the Church - perhaps a Cardinal or even Pope, one day (though Catalina could not imagine her sister Juana as a solemn and dignified Pope - not when she had seen her climb trees and muddy her breeches and gowns). Maria would be a Duchess, a chief advisor on Isabella's Privy Council. And Catalina? Catalina had her duties, of course she did - but her life was a little freer as the youngest and the favourite of her family - she often felt sorry for John, who would be going away to be married and would be entirely expected to do so, as a good son.

But after all, that was the lot of Princes. They would obey and be good and obedient help meets to their wives and fathers of many daughters, if God would so bless their unions (Catalina knew her parents were very much in love - though her mother took lovers sometimes they had never lasted long. Her mother loved her father, who had blessed her with four daughters and a handsome, brilliant son. Catalina hoped that she too, could marry for love.

Alice More knew that her husband was considered very unusual. After all he was as well educated as any women - indeed as any princess would be and he taught their son as well as his sisters. But it was well thought of, by and large. Then Thomas More was so very good natured it was easy to be charmed by him - Alice certainly had been when her mother and his had sought the betrothal - and it certainly helped that he was so well educated for Alice - though she knew other women did not necessarily share that view. But she was happy with her handsome, good natured husband - a natural father to their children.

He was all that she could want.

Thomas Cromwell knew he was entirely fortunate to have been allowed to keep his son, daughters and household after his wife's death. If it had not been that Elizabeth had been granted property, title and income for her services to Cardinal Larke, to be provided for the upkeep of her husband and children for the duration of their lives, they would have been reduced to abject poverty. He never forgot that it was by Elizabeth's grace that he had been rescued from Putney - that he had been noticed by her and for that? That would have been enough for him to be thankful for but as well, they loved each other well.

Queen Margaret of England had smiled, looking upon Charles Brandon when they were still children. She still smiled on him now, though his reputation was not an especially good one. Indeed he was known to have been the lover of many in the court and when she thought of it, Margaret knew that marriage was not a possibility. She could not marry a man who had so thrown away his reputation, however much she loved him.

But she could see him and their children settled, given property and honoured as they should be. Their son Edward would be properly dowered of course and the girls would find places at court alongside their legitimate siblings. It would be well.

_Next up? Will actually introduce Henry and Anne and such like. Hopefully._


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you for the lovely reviews everyone 3. I'm pondering who else I should feature and how this should go on._

__There had been many times that Elizabeth Boleyn had wished her youngest had been a girl - because oh, how far Henry would have risen had he been a girl. But now, now it looked like he would rise further than anyone had dreamed, having caught the eye of Queen Anne. When the sweating sickness had carried off Queen Margaret, there had been relief that the youngest Tudor princess had been so brilliantly trained to be a Queen. And indeed, she was proving a golden Queen. Her sister Margaret's consort, King Charles had hastily been installed as the Dowager Prince of Wales, with full honours due to him, though the marriage had not been formerly pronounced or consummated. Her lover Charles had been honourably married off to Margaret's great friend Catherine.

And Queen Anne had fallen in love with Charles. They had been happy together for a time, despite having only one living child - a son, Prince Matthew but Charles had fallen out of favour - he was much older than his wife and was rather more pious and more interested in prayer than dancing and witty conversation. Only the fact that his aunt had become Holy Roman Empress had kept him this safe, Elizabeth reflected sourly.

Then her son had caught Anne's eye at a masque and she was enchanted. Though perhaps, it was not entirely surprising. Henry, her Harry, was a bright, brilliant boy - educated far more than most sons were and able to read and write in several languages, with a genuine interest in scholarship as well as riding, hawking and jousting. She knew that in the English court her son stood out - he was not merely a warrior and a good father and carer for children. He was a challenge. And he had politely told Anne no.

_I cannot be merely a lover. My body is to be my gift to my wife, Your Majesty._

__It had merely inflamed her desire for Henry.


	3. Chapter 3

_So - who should I feature next? Anything in particular you'd like to request? _

__Anne had always known her beloved brother would have to marry, but the knowledge hadn't made it any easier to say goodbye to him. They'd always been close and it was so strange to think that her George was going to be a consort. Now, now she was Queen Anne and George was a happy father of three daughters and by all accounts, a capable, intelligent ruler in his own right.

She was so proud of him, but gladder still to see him again and to meet her nieces.

* * *

Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell were a pair of unlikely friends, considering their wives. But friends they were for both knew what it was to be thought of as unusual and odd. And both of them had learned what it was to fight for their children. It was no surprise then that they were attracted to the group of young men around Henry Boleyn.


	4. Chapter 4

_Dear everyone - thank you so for the lovely reviews! This was just a random thing I started writing to amuse myself and my history dork brain and I'm really flattered it struck a cord with people. So, to answer some questions/babble about some things._

_-Women are still the ones who get pregnant - it's just that lineage is traced through the mother and the mother (as the giver of life) is considered the ruler (partially I am borrowing from various pre-historic societal structures and various traditions from around the world. Particularly the cult around the mother-goddess figure - who gives life and destroys life and rules because she is the one who is valuable - the one who can bring life in to the world. Men are basically considered to be good warriors/soldiers but no good at all at strategy - intelligence is not something that is prized - being a warrior/good caretaker is because well, someone needs to be able to look after the children - though daughters will spend more time with their mothers than sons. Anyway, Thomas More and Cromwell are both considered Odd And A Bit Suspect because they are quiet/thinky. Thomas More in particular because of not being in to war as a thing. *_

_-This universe, I haven't worked out the exact divergence but I think it may have been that the first strong tribal leaders ended up being women - and the various religions retained their mother goddess focused centre. _

_*In some places they would probably have been whipped for it. Cromwell was, as a child but he had an older sister who looked out for him and he got lucky because he could fight as well. More had a pair of doting parents and older sisters and basically, he made up for a lot of things by being a really really good parent so they could kind of overlook the 'wait, you overeducated your son' thing. Mostly. He was lucky in Alice. _

_-I haven't decided on whether Elizabeth will come along yet - because of course I could be evil and give Henry Anne's historical fate. Which might then involve Edward Tudor setting off something of a social revolution by becoming England's first King in his own right. _

_-What would you like to see happen, oh readers? (I'm happy to take suggestions - I apparently have writers block right now so am going to shamelessly ask for them) Which characters should be featured next? _


End file.
